Ta’ Kola Windmill is one of the few surviving windmills on the Maltese Islands. It is located in the village of Xagħra, Gozo. Its origin goes back to 1725 at the hands of Manoel Foundation, so named to Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena credit.[1]
Manoel Foundation charged itself with building up windmills to sustain the flour demand of the increasing population of Malta and Gozo. Soon after its construction (during the 1780s) Ta’ Kola Windmill was dismantled and reconstructed as a consequence of the original crummy building materials.
Its construction follows a plan similar to most Maltese windmills of the same period, and consists of two floors surrounding the centrally-placed cylindrical stone tower.[2]
Ta’ Kola Windmill is a tangible example of rural economy and domestic of Gozian life during past centuries. We can find the original milling mechanism, miller's tools, as well as the blacksmith's and carpenter's workshop.